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Thera 3.10: Satimattiya
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(179):Satimattiya Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter III. three Verses =179. Sāṭimattiya= Reborn in this Buddha-age in the kingdom of Magadha as a brahmin's son, he having the essential conditions1 entered the Monk’s order among the forest bhikkhus(monks), and through study and practice acquired sixfold abhiññā(higher knowledge).''Upon that he instructed bhikkhus(monks), and preached to many folk on the Refuges and the Precepts. One family in particular he converted to faith and trust; and in that house he was greatly welcomed, the only daughter, a pretty, lovely girl, respectfully providing him with food. One day Mara(deathlord/devil), plotting to disturb and disgrace him, took his shape, and going to the maiden, grasped her hand. But she, feeling that this was no human touch, loosed her hand. But the others in the house saw it and lost faith in the Thera. He, knowing nothing, perceived next day their changed manner. And discerning that Māra had been at work, he vowed to loose the dead dog from their neck, and made them tell him what had happened. And the house, hearing his explanation, begged his forgiveness, '168' and declared he himself would wait upon him. The Thera told the matter in these verses: ---- '246' Ahutuyhaɱ pure saddhā sā te ajja na vijjati,|| Yaɱ tuyhaɱ tuyhamevetaɱ natthi duccaritaɱ mama.|| || '247' Aniccā hi calā saddhā evaɱ diṭṭhā hi sā mayā,|| Rajjantipi virajjaniti tattha kiɱ jiyyate muni.|| || '248' Paccati munino bhattaɱ theka thokaɱ kule kule,|| Piṇḍikāya carissāmi atthi jaŋghābalaɱ mamā' ti.|| || ---- '246' The trust you once did place in me, To-day it lives no more. What's yours is yours; But in this house no evil have I done. '247' Transient and wavering is the layman's faith: - So have I marked. Folk love and then grow cold. Why for that should a holy Monk die? '248' Cooked stands the sage's food a little here, A little there, in one clan or the next. I will go round to seek my little alms; My legs are strong enough indeed for that.2 ---- 1 ''I.e., maturity of evolution in character. 2 This little poem, so simply explained by the Commentary, has for lack of it been twisted into a limping dialogue on Karma, etc., between two bhikkhus(monks). See Neumann, in loc. ---- =3.10 179 Commentary on the stanza of Sāṭimattiyatthera= The stanza starting with Ahu tuyhaṃ pure saddhā constitutes that of the venerable Thera Sāṭimattiya. What is the origin? This one also, having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating acts of merit in this and that existence, was reborn in a family home at the time of the Blessed One Siddhatha and on having attained the age of intelligence, he happened to have seen, one day, the Master, became pious-minded and offered a palm-fan (tālavaṇṭaṃ) to Him. On account of that act of merit. He wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among devine and human beings and was reborn in a brahmin family in the kingdom of Magadha, when this Buddha arose; having gained the name Sāṭimattiya, he, having come of age, became a monk in the presence of forest-dweller monks, because of being endowed with the cause (hetu) and doing the deed of developing spiritual insight (vipassanā), he became an Arahant with six sorts of higher-knowledge (abhiññā). Hence, has it been said in the yApadāna.-- “I offered a fan of palm leaf to the Blessed One Siddhattha; I carried it to the highly worthy, aptly covered with jasmine (flowers). It was ninetyfour aeons (kappa) ago that I made my offering of palm fan; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of the palm-fan. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, however, become an Arahant with six sorts of higher-knowledge (abhiññā), he advises and teaches the monks; having taught the truth (dhamma) to many living beings he had them established in the refuges and moral precepts. He made another family also, who happened to be not faithful and divout to become full of pious faith and devotion (pasannaṃ). On that account, people in that family were specially devoted to the Thera. There, a specially beautiful and good-looking girl entertained (parivīsati) the Thera who had entered for alms-food, with a meal respectfully (sakaccaṃ). Then, one day, Māra having thought thus: “In this manner there will develop defamation (ayaso) of this one; he will become without support (appatiṭṭho),” went in the guise (rūpena) of the Thera and caught hold of the girl by her hand. The girl came to know thus: “This is not the human touch” and had her hand set free also. On having noticed it, the house-people brought about their lack of devotion (appasādaṃ) to the Thera. On the next day, the Thera, without causing any reflection upon (anavajjento) the matter (kāraṇaṃ) went to that house. There people made their disregard (anādara). On having reflected upon that circumstance (kāraṇaṃ) the Thera came to know of the plot (kiriyaṃ) of Māra, made his resolution (adhiṭṭhahitvā) thus: “Let a corpse of a dog be fastened to his neck,” had the deed done on the previous day spoked about by Māra himself who had approached him for the purpose of getting himself free from the carcase and liberated that Māra after frightening him. On having noticed it the lord of the house tendered his apology (khamāpetvā) saying: “Venerable Sir! Please pardon me for my fault (accayaṃ),” and said thus: “Venerable Sir! From today onwards, I alone shall serve you.” The Thera spoke three stanzas teaching the truth (dhamma) to him:– 246. “Formerly you had pious faith (saddhā); today, there does not exist that faith. Whatever is yours, this is but yours even; there is no bad conduct of mine. 247. “Indeed pious faith is shaky and inpermanent; in this manner, that pious faith had, indeed, been seen by me. They become attached (rejjanti) and also detached; there, what does a sage lose? 248. “Food for sage is cooked little by little in a family after family; I shall wander for alms-food; I have the strength of my legs. There ahu tuyhaṃ pure saddhā, sa te ajja na vijjati means; O devotee! Previous to the present, there was your pious faith in me, namely, thus: - “Lord of rightous conduct and equitable behaviour (samacārī)” and so on; that pious faith of yours is not to be closely gained by you today. Yaṃ tuyhaṃ tuyhamevetaṃ means: whatever charitable offer of the four recluses’ requistes (there has been) let this be but yours; I am not in need of it; indeed, charity should be offered well with piously pleased mind; thus, is the significance. In other words: yaṃ tuyhaṃ tuyhamev’ataṃ means: whatever your disrespect has occurred today for me, that is but yours even; its consequence should but be suffered retributively (paccānubhavitabbaṃ) by you even; thus, is the meaning. N’atthi duccaritaṃ mama means: to me, however, there is no bad conduct because of the state of having well cut off all forms of depravity which constitute causes of wicked conduct, but by means of the right path (magga). Aniccā hi calā saddhā means: since the pious faith (saddhā) belonging to common ordinary folk (puthujjana) is impermanent and not definite (ekantikā), apart from that (tato) even, it is shaky (calā) similar to a gourd (kambhaṇḍa) placed on the back of a horse and unsteady, similar to the uprooted (nikhāta) trunk of a tree on a heap of chaff (thusa). Evaṃ diṭṭhā hi sāmayā means: that pious faith, which has become in this manner, has been seen in you and known visibly (paccakkhato). Rajjanti pivirajjanti means: because of its state of unsteadiness in this manner, even, these creatures sometimes become mutually attached and make themselves mutually affectionate by way of association with friends; sometines they become mutually detached and detachminded. Ta’ttha kiṃ jiyyate muni means: in that attachment and detachment of ordinary common folks (puthujjana), what does the sage, the monk, lose (jiyyati)? what of him gets diminished (hāni)? Thus, is the meaning. In order to show that he must not consider in this manner: “If you do not take the requisites offered by me, how will you keep yourself going (yāpetha), he spoke the stanza, starting with “Paccati.” It’s meaning:– Munino means: of the mink; bhattaṃ''means: cooked meal; ''kule kule means in one house after another, day after day; thokaṃ thokaṃ means: is cooked little by little; not in your house only. Piṇḍikāya carissāmi, a’tthi jaṅghabalaṃ mama means: I have vigour of my legs; I am not lame-legged (obhaggajaṅgho); I am not a cripple (khañjo) nor am I (a monk) with leg-disease; therefore, I shall wander about for lumps of alms-food and mixed meal; I shall keep myself going (yāpessāmi) after having wandered about for alms food in the manner said by the Master thus: “Yathā pi bhamaro pupphaṃ (according as the bee to the flower),” and so on. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Sātimattiya is complete. ----